1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to painting equipment and more specifically to a movable paint tray assembly for applying a liquid to a roller.
2. Description of the related art
Heretofore, various paint tray assemblies have been used for applying a liquid, like paint, to a roller. Such paint trays are typically rectangular in shape having a partially ramped rectangular bottom surface. The ramped bottom surface starts at the back wall of the tray, and slopes downward to the bottom of the tray as it extends toward the front of the tray. Sidewalls extend around the rectangular bottom surface forming a reservoir for holding paint, which is deeper near the front of the tray and shallower toward the back.
When using such a paint tray, a painter typically approaches the paint tray from the back of the paint tray and will extend the roller into the paint located in the reservoir. Once the paint is absorbed into the roller, the painter pulls the roller back along the ramped bottom surface causing the paint to spread onto the roller with excess paint draining back into the reservoir.
Due to the shape of the tray and the orientation of the ramped bottom surface, the paint can only be conveniently applied to the roller from one direction. As a painter moves around the room, unless the paint tray is continuously reoriented, the painter is often in a poor position to reapply more paint to the roller. The painter in many instances must walk around to the back of the tray in order to reapply more paint to the roller.
Several examples of previously disclosed analogous and non-analogous paint tray assemblies allowing for the painter to apply paint to the roller from a plurality of positions around a room without having to pick up and reorient the paint tray, or paint tray assemblies providing transport mechanisms for assisting in the movement or reorientation of the paint tray are contained in the following U.S. Patents.
Elliott et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,169,022, discloses a circular paint tray assembly providing a center circular well for holding paint and a sloping paint spreading surface which extends around the circular well the full circumference of the tray. By extending around the full circumference of the tray, the ramped paint spreading surface allows a painter to apply paint to a roller from any position around the tray, without having to pick up and reorient the paint tray.
Owens, U.S. Pat. No. 5,046,749, discloses a U-shaped paint pail having two steeply sloped surfaces for applying paint to a roller. The two sloped surfaces are positioned opposite one another. The two sloped surfaces allow for two painters to simultaneously apply paint to their roller, or to allow a single painter to apply paint to a roller from one of two positions around the paint pail. The U-Shaped paint pail is further mounted on four casters to allow the paint pail to be rolled from one area to another. In the preferred embodiment, the direction of rotation of two casters is limited so as to restrict the movement of the pail to a straight line, often parallel to a wall.
Schumacher et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,082,301, discloses a mobile work station or cart with wheels and a handle, for holding a paint tray and other paint supplies. The wheels and the handle serve to facilitate movement of the work station as the painter moves from one work area to another work area.
Dunn, U.S. Pat. No. 3,752,494, discloses a paint cart assembly including a roller frame assembly, which may be used to assist in the movement of the cart assembly into an advantageous position with respect to the surfaces being painted and the position where the painter is working.